Environmental Studies
Kyle Dell, Associate Professor of Political Science, Co-Chair
Holly Peterson, Assistant Professor of Geology and Earth Science, Co-Chair
Marlene L. McCauley, Professor of Geology
Bronwyn Tucker, Visiting Instructor
Environmental studies provides an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes the relationship between humans and the environment. It allows students to study and address a fundamental issue of our times – the quality of the Earth’s environment and the sustainable use of its natural resources. The program’s focus on justice, global awareness, service to the larger community and the concept of nature as sacred are in keeping with Guilford’s five academic principles and its Quaker heritage. For the purposes of the environmental studies program, courses of environmental relevance at Guilford have been divided between environmental science and non-science courses.
Students interested in the environmental studies minor have two tracks from which to select: a traditional and broad-based environmental studies track as well as a track that focuses on the Cape Fear River Basin. Both minor tracks are described below. The traditional track of environmental studies emphasizes a combination of science and non-science courses that provide a range of perspectives and skills for addressing environmental problems and responses. The Cape Fear River track provides a more focused and place-based experience in which students access environmental problems, responses, relationships and engagement at a more immediate geographic scale; students in this track will deepen their personal engagement with this place, their critical and creative skills and the value of “upstream-downstream” thinking.
The minor in environmental studies is not available to environmental studies majors.
Environmental Studies (Traditional) Track
Requires a minimum of 20 credit hours (five courses); one course must be at the 300 level.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS 101 | Environmental Science, Policy and Thought: Introduction to Environmental Studies | 4 |
| BIOL 201 | Intro Biol: Form and Function | 4 |
| BIOL 202 | Intro Biol: Ecol and Evolution | 4 |
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
| Environmental Science | ||
| Field Botany | ||
| North Carolina Freshwater Fishes | ||
| Vertebrate Field Zoology | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Chemistry of Recycling | ||
| Real World Chemistry | ||
| Chemical Principles I | ||
| Chemistry of Food and Cooking | ||
| Environmental Pollution | ||
| Junior Seminar: Socio-Ecol. | ||
| Senior Seminar | ||
| Geology and the Environment | ||
or GEOL 141 | Oceanography | |
| Oceanography | ||
| Hydrology | ||
| Images of the Earth: GIS and Remote Sensing | ||
| Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
or ECON 301 | Research Methods | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Microeconomic Principles: Public Policy | ||
| Environmental and Resource Economics | ||
| American Literature Survey I | ||
| The American Landscape (ART 220) | ||
| Urban Environmental History | ||
| American Rivers | ||
| Conflict Transformation for Peacebuilding and Justice (JPS 236) | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Environmentalism in Early America | ||
| Modern Environmental Problems | ||
| Environmental Psychology | ||
| American Nature Writing (ENGL 228) | ||
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Total credit hours required for environmental studies (traditional) track is 20 credits
Appropriate internships or independent studies with sufficient academic content and rigor may be substituted for a science or a non- science course, but must be approved in advance by the program coordinator.